#2429 $650
Fortuny de Medici stenciled cotton valence, 1950s
The popularity of Fortuny's designs had spread from the cultured elite to the broader public just when Europe was feeling impoverished after WWI. The expensive silk and velvet fabrics hand produced in his small workshop could not meet the demand. Thus, in 1919 he faced two imperatives: the need to increase production and to use less expensive fabrics. His solution was a new company, Società Anonima Fortuny.
After much experimentation, Mariano Fortuny settled on long-staple Egyptian cotton as the ground cloth for his new creations. Although the factory output was considered mass production by Fortuny's standards, the output still required a high degree of manual labor to achieve the desired effect.
This fabric, stenciled with the de Medici pattern, was purchased in Italy by a traveling American in the late 1950s and made into a window valence. The bottom is finished with a stenciled border print. The valence is backed with plain beige cotton.
The Fortuny stamp, which is always along the selvedge, was cut off when the valence was made. The bottom picture shows the Fortuny mark on a piece of de Medici fabric that recently sold from the same collection.
Although Fortuny stenciled patterns are still produced today, lovers of textile art appreciate the superior quality of his vintage pieces. This exceptional find is a twofer: you get the high quality of a vintage textile without the wear seen in a used piece.
The condition is excellent.
It measures 14 1/2" long by 99" wide.
